Library Monitoring Defended

Special to the New York Times

Published: August 5, 1988

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, William S. Sessions, today defended the bureau's program to monitor the use of American libraries by agents of the Soviet bloc.

At a news conference, Mr. Sessions, answering lawmakers and librarians who have criticized the surveillance, called it ''an important program'' designed 'to assure the sanctity and the security of technical, scientific and military information.''

But he indicated that the future of the Library Awareness Program would be decided after negotiations with lawmakers and the American Library Association. Some members of Congress and library groups have said the program threatened the free flow of information.

In other remarks at his quarterly meeting with reporters, Mr. Sessions said he supported plans for random drug testing of F.B.I. employees, despite a Federal court ruling last week that blocked a similar program at the Justice Department, the bureau's parent agency.

In 1986 the bureau began to test thousands of new employees and applicants for drug abuse. It is now planning to begin random drug screening of veteran employees.

Last week the Justice Department's plan to subject 1,800 employees to random drug testing was blocked by a Federal district judge who said the plan was unjustified and probably unconstitutional.

Although random testing at the F.B.I. may be delayed by the judge's decision, Mr. Sessions said he hoped to go forward with the program.